Promoting the release of their latest album In Ghost Colours, Cut Copy graced Brisbanites with their presence on Friday night at the Tivoli. Playing their unique mix of pop/electronic fusion (think New Order meets Bloc Party) to a sold out crowd, the boys did not disappoint the punters, pulling out a mix of old and new songs. Support acts were The Shocking Pink and New York foursome The Juan Mclean.
It was my first time at the Tivoli. Yes it’s sad but true, I was a Tivoli virgin. Happily I was initiated on Friday night and I was delighted (and at the same a bit miffed I hadn’t been there sooner) to discover how awesome the venue actually is. The elevated stage, the balcony, the main dance area… Walking into the main bar area around 9:15pm, we had arrived in time to catch the end of The Juan Mclean who, although they were playing to a rather smallish looking crowd, seemed like they were having fun. Their sound was kind of a cross between disco and rock pop. Fun, light and although I found it interesting, it was not attracting my attention enough to tackle the mosh pit.
So instead I headed to the bar throwing in a ‘quick’ toilet stop which took a bit longer than expected, mainly due to the huge lines and chaos around the mirrors inside and the fact that the paper towels were having a party of their own on the floor. Venturing upstairs to hang out on the spacious balcony, I was pleasantly surprised to be able to see the elevated stage from nearly any vantage point. For a sold out show there was actually a lot of room to move which was a refreshing change.
Missing out on Cut Copy on their previous tours and having heard so much about them, I still didn’t really know what to expect from their live show. After a 30 minute delay, original lone ranger and band frontman Dan Whitford kicked off the show with Visions from their first debut album Bright Like Neon Love. It was instantly a hit with the crowd who were then led into the smash hit Feel The Love. The resentment felt over a late start was soon forgotten as the crowd became overwhelmed by the mesmerizing sounds coming from Dan’s keyboard and the seductive riffs from guitarist Tim Hoey.
The mellow beginning shifted pretty fast and soon morphed into a fun, fast and furious energy with the boys busting out old and new tracks from both of their albums. Hearts on Fire, Future, Out There on the Ice, Time Stands Still, So Haunted and Midnight Runne all got some airtime to a rapturous crowd. Lights and Music also proved to be a huge crowd pleaser and the response from the crowd was simply to dance harder and sing even louder. Dan was what can only be described as a sensation on the keyboard and combined with guitarist Tim and bassist Ben Browning it was audio heaven. The melodies, vocals and songs were all very tight and the whole set seemed to flow on seamlessly. The 80s themed back lighting (although not super adventurous) certainly did the job, and it was very easy to see all of the action on stage.
And then it was all over… Looking at my watch I was rather disappointed to see the set actually wrap up at 57 minutes, but the crowd would not be denied at this point and demanded an encore which heralded two more songs. Feel the Love returned to more applause from audience (with even more “Oh oh oh oh’s”) which continued into the streets long after the show had finished.
Call me old fashioned and again, it could be due to my absence from attending concerts for a while, but the whole show, including the encore, went for just over an hour. The Cut Copy set was so much fun I really didn’t want it to finish and it seemed so early as I was having such a good time. Yet it was officially called at one hour three minutes. I was officially ‘cut’ and left wanting more. The punters didn’t seem to mind too much though. Everyone singled out straight away without even trying for a second encore.
